Two computer science and engineering students from American University of Sharjah (AUS) received top honors at the recently held the UAE Cyber Quest Security Competition, organized by the National Electronic Security Authority (NESA) in UAE. Omar Nase Hamdan and Inas Zaki won the first and third place respectively at the competition which saw 30 educational institutions from around the UAE participate.

Dr. Fadi Aloul, Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Head, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said, "Cyber Security is becoming a hot topic and is constantly growing. Given the increase of cyber security attacks in recent years, it has become important to spread security awareness among all users, as this could affect their lives at home and at work. Such competitions encourage students to stay up to date to research and learn about the latest threats and attacks, as well as keep up with the best counter measures."

The Cyber Quest competition includes a Training Round that introduces participants to different aspects of cyber security in order to develop their skills in preparation for the final competition which tests students on a wide spectrum of cyber security skills.

The National Electronic Security Authority (NESA) is a UAE federal authority responsible for creating a Cyber Secured environment that enables the unimpeded progress of the UAE. Protecting our nation's infrastructure requires constant vigilance and creative and innovative solutions to keep pace with the continuous and rapid development, which is characteristic of cyberspace environment.